Sound reproducer or intensifier applicable to phonographs, gramophones, &amp;c.



. 0. A. PARSONS.

. "14 SOUND-RBPRODUCBR 0R. INTENSIFIER APPLICABLE TO- PHONQGELAPHS,

GRAMOPHONBS,'&o.

APPLICATION FILED APBJZ, 19 04 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 No. 817,868. PATEN'IQED $11.17, 1906.

I G. A. PARSONS. SOUND REPRODUGER 0R INTENSIFIER APPLICABLE TO PHOfiOGRAPHS,

GRAMOPHONES, &6. APPLICATION FILED APILIZ, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

w a gym ED STATES:-

eHAa Es ALGERNON PARSONS. OF- NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENetiin squup REPRODUCER QR mmsmzg A PucABLtTo PTHONOGRAPHS, enmoPuouzsj-ltc.

' To a, whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CHARLES ALoERNoiv PARSONS, a subject .of the-Kingof Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Heaton W'orks, Newcastle-u )on-Tyne, in the county of bl orthuniberland, 4 n *land, haveinveiit'ed certain new and usefu Improvements in Sound Reproducers or Intensifiers Applicable-to Phono raphs, Gramophones, Tele- 1903,) of which the following is a specifica- 1 tlOll. stationary part. of the valve phones, and the liike, (for which I have made application for Letters Patent in GreatBritain, No. 10,468, bearing date August 5,

v lam aware that iiiech anic ally or automatically operatedv valves with air or steam .sueh, for example,'as sirens-have been pr d';

, posed and are in use for the production of" sound; I- am also aware that Edison pro posed theuse of an air relay and valve moved by a diaphra m operated by sound} the air trgm the valve operating a second diaphragm, and this in turn operating a sound.

crophone *for the urpose of intensifying Also severa persons since that date have proposed and described air-relays andsimilar apparatus for the purpose of intensi lying sound, such relays being operated either by a diaphragm moved by-the sound Waves or by phonograph or gramophone records.

The present invention relates to the construction and proportioning of such valves or SOllIldiIGPl'OdUCGIS and intensifiers, so as to render them successful and efficient.

, Referring to the accompanying drawings,/ Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the general arrangement of my improvements as ap on a fixed part of the gi'ainophone.

plied to a gra-niophone. Fig. 2 is an en' larged elevation of the compressed-air chain her and its connections, the pipe leading to the trumpet being removed,-while Fig. 3 is a section on the line X X, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the stationary part of the valve, while FigsoS and 6 are respectively ,Speciflcation of letters Patent. iiaemgiea'i r i 12,190; Serial t. zoaeea.

compressedair chamber f, supplied with Patented April 17, 1906.

compressed air from any convenient source through the hollow arm'a, consists of a cylmdrical casing g,"formin the frontof the ehamber-andclamped to t e plate h, carried by the arm d), by the bolt '1', and thumb-screw a layer of soft materialk being clam ed be tweenthe edge creasing g and plate The chamber f is divided by acil'cular piece of wire gaujze y, the part of the chamber on-the air-supply side of the gauze being filled with cotton,-wool,or othersuitable material and "actingiasfan air-filter; In-the' front face of the charnbrfis fixed a grating l; forming the more fully de; scribedfbelow) andalso forming part of the boun a y a m e pre ede r m f A- "rating mjoi'iiis the valve-coverand-is attai'hed to-as'n allsteelwe" h-b'an'm'which may be mounted, asshowii in igs. 2 and3, on two very sh'ortbut flexible fiat springs 0 0, parallel to-its-axis, fiie'd'to su orts 0' 0 on the face of 2 a the chamber f and-a owin the weigh-bar n,

y about its axis.

tofo'scillate 'i'ot'altion'ally o In one piece with-the weigh-bar, andthus in rigid conjiecti'on' withjithe --valve-covei m, is

.theaetuating-arm' pfiwhich' in v the ramophone-forms a socket forithe'repr uciiigstyle held the said socket b .a set-screw r orot er convenient'ineans. he rectangular base set the conical pipe t,leadmg to the trumpet, is removably seatedon the face of the compressed-air chamber f and closely sur- I rounds the valve -grating Z. 'In one side of thebase .s is a rectangular opening u to allow .the pipe t to be placed in position over the valve-cover m.. The base 8 of the pi e t should give just sufiicient clearance to a low the oscillations of the valve-cover m, so that as little air as possible passes into the ipe t, and so to the trumpet, except throng the slots of the valve-cover m, and as httle an as possible escapes around the valve-cover through. the openings u. A central diaphragm 'v, parallel to-"the tongues of t-he;grating m, divides theconical pi'pe it. To the weigh-bar n is rigidly attached a steel sprin :Wll'e w, lying in the direction of the axis of t e weigh-bar near its point of attachment and bent so that its other end, fitted with a rubber sleeve 1:, bears against an adjustable. thumb-screw z. llhe spring wire w'always tends to move the valvecover m toward the stationary grating l, and by turning the screw 2 the position of the valvc cover'm when at host can be adjusted. Referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the fine ratings Z and m, forming the valve, are 0 the same pitch. The slots in the grating lmay ness equal to the slots to be out. Such be of rather greater breadth than the tongues of the grating m. -VVhen the gratings are placed together with the tongues of m above the slots of I, very little air can pass through them; but whenslightly separated in a direc- I tion almost normal to their faces by the rotation of 111 about the axis of the weighebar n air passes through the openings formed at both edges of each tongue. The tongues of the valve-cover are formed wedge-shaped in orderto reduce the mass of the moving part .a valve may coarser pitch.say thirty-three to the inchof the valve as much as possible consistently with preserving rigidity. The valveI have shown enlarged four times in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 is of dimensions which have been found to Work well as a plied to a gramophone. Such lie of larger dimensions and of than a valve of the same class. suitable for a phonograph. In this class of valve when used for a phonograph I have found by experiment t at .up to a fineness of pitch of sixty-six per inch and a width of slot of about .008 of an inch there is a steady increase of loudness and clearness of the sound produced. Such a valve for phonograph-records may ha've twent slots and twenty-one tongues,

each slot t ee-sixteenths of an inch ong, thus giving a total length of lipening .of two by twenty by three-sixteent1s equals seven and one-half inches. Such a valve'is very small in dimensions. The thickness. of

the tongue may be .015 of an inch at the roots, tapering to -003 of an inch at the tips; and the back may stand out from the weigh-bar onesixteenth of an inch. lVhen made of ninecarat gold, (the metal I sometimes prefer inorder to obviate oxidatiom) its weight will be about one and one-fourth grains; If made of aluminium, which produces louder sounds, the weight may be reduced to three-fourths of a grain. the center of the ve Ive-grating for the gramophone may be about equal to that of the style-point. For the phonograph and ordinary wax rccordsit ma be from equal to double that of the stylenob. These ratios depend chiefly on the dimensions and 'finc ness and weight of the gratings. -The air-' pressure may be from two to five pounds per square inch or even lngher; but with three ounds the reproduction from the wax record is louder than the original voice speaking into an Edison Bell recordingphonograph when making the sccord. Thou h I have mentioned a fineness o'f grating o sixty-sixtog-the-inch itch, I have not as yet observed any mark limitation with fineness up to this degree. The gratings do not become stuck or-choked, provided an-air-filter of cotton or toweling is placed in the supply-pipe; The cutting of such ratings is easily accomplished by fine Watc -making tools, including a lathe and thin and fine saws of a thick- The amplitude of oscillation of gratings may be formed of two perforated plates or membranes instead of 4 Though I have described and illustrated this valve as a single comb, I may form itas a double or a circular or a segmental or other form of comb, the general guiding-principle being that it is desirable to reduce the lengths of the tongues to secure their rigidity with a minimum aggregate weight oftongue, and it is therefore desirable to increase the number gridu'ons.

of'tongues as much as possible and to-reduce 1 their length and thickness,.the limiting thickness of any tongueof given length being determined by this that the frequency of oscillation of the tongue shall 'be above some given and-very h gh note. If the tongues are too thin, they may-set up an audiblevibration of their own independently of the controlled oscillation of the valve as a whole.

Though. I have described the moving memv her as attached to a weigh-bar actuated by an arm, I may prefer to apply the moving. force directly to any part of the valve and to place the fulcrum outside's'uch force relatively to the valve. This disposition I prefer in the case of a circular comb; but'in all cases suitable arrangements must be provided to maintain constant pro ortionaldisplacement'of all parts of the va ve relatively to the fixed ,valve-face during1 oscillation. Although I have described t worked by compressedair and-in conjunction with a pgessure-chamber, the reproducer may be wor ed by rarefied air and'a suctionchamber. In'all cases the moving part, of the valve should be placed onthe side of less e .valve as pressure. If placed on the side of greater pressure, it is liable to be inunstable equilibrium and to sound like a reed as a whole on its own account, or the individual tongues of the valve may similarly vibrate.

For use with gramophone-records the volume of the compressed air chamber must usually exceed one cubic inch and is generally made e. ual to about three cubic'inches.

I also slight y throttle the inlet to the c01npressed-air chamber to increase thesteadlness.

In combination with the valve described in this specification I have found b experiment that if the trumpet is lined wit velvet,- felt, or similar substance for a short distance from the small end sounds of very short wave length, such as scratching and-very= high harmonics, are much reduced'; Also I have found that a piece of tubing with one or more sharp bends introduced between the 'reproducer and the trumpet is of great assistance in reducing such sounds. The very short waves proceed in-v radial directions from the valve and impinge on the sides, es pecially at the bends, and are thereby reduced, while the waves of moderate length travel easily round the bends and are less af- 1 erases fected. A convenient method of carryin this into effect is to attach a piece of meta tubing 7 bent twice at right angles to the tube t, Fig. 3, and to the trumpet by means of short pieces of rubber tubing, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. An apparatus for reproducing sounds, coiiipiising in combination, a valve-face1 short flexible springs fixed at one side of said valve-face; an oscillating valve-cover mounted on said springs and adapted to control a current of elastic fluid; and means for actuating said valve-cover in accordance with the sounds to be reproduced; substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for reproducing sound, comprising in combination, a valve-face; short flexible springs fixed at one side of said valve-face; an oscillating valve-cover mounted on said springs and adapted to control a current of elastic fluid; means for adjusting the position of said valve-cover relatively to said valve face; and means for actuating said movable grating in accordance with the sounds to be reproduced; substantially as described.

3. IIL a sound-re reducing apparatus, in combination; an e astie-fliiid chamber; a fixed grating forming part ofthe boundary of said chamber; a connection adapted for 4 supplying compressed or rarefied elastic fluid to said chamber; short flexible springs fixed. to said chamber; an oscillating grating mounted on said sprin s and adapted to control the flow ofelastic uid through the openings in said fixed grating; and means for ac tuatiii said oscillating gratin in accordance with t e sounds to be reproduced, substantially as described.

4. In a sound-re roducing ap aratus, in combination; an e astic-flu-id c amber; a fixed grating forming part of the boundary of said chamber; an axially-oscillating bar mounted on said chamber; a grating fixed to said bar and adapted tzj control the flow of elastic huio :hrough said fixed grating; means for :HUU ding the position of said oscillating gial iug relatively to said fixed grat ing, and means for actuating said bar in accoi-diimo with the sounds to be reproduced, substantially as described.

In 21. .-i undreproducing ap aratus, in conibinaliim; an elastic-fluid c 'an' ber;-a

hollow carrying said chamber, a fixed grating norm: part of he boundaryof said clniniber said hoilmuaiuu being movably supportr: ,d- ("HHIOUtlOll to said hollow arm' ads pted to." run iplying compressed or rarefied a or elastic fluid to said chamber; a movable grating adapted to control the flow of elastic fluid through the openings in said fixed grating; and means for actuating said movable grating in accordance withthe sounds to be reproduced, substantially as described.

6. In a sound-re reducing apparatus, in combination; an ei fixed grating forming part of the boundary of said chamber; an axially-oscillating bar mounted on said chamber; a grating fixed to said bar and adapted to control the flow of elastic fluid through said fixed gratin ;.'a' stylesocketforming arm fixed to said iar; and means for fixing a gramoplione or pho nograpli style in said socket; substantially as described. I

4 7. In a sound-reproducing instrument in combination; a compressed air chamber; wiregauze dividing said chamber into two parts; an air-filter on one side of said Wiregauze; a fixed grating forming part ofthe boundary of said air-chamber; a grating movable in a substantially normal direction so disposed as to cover theopenings in said fixed grating; and means for actuating said movable grating in accordance with the sounds to be reproduced; as set forth.

-8. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, in

combination; an elastic-fluid chamber; a fixed grating forming part of the boundary of said chamber; anaxially-oscillating bar mounted on said chamber; a grating fixed to said bar and adapted to control the flowof astic -fluid chamber; a

elastic fluid through said fixed grating; a

style-sockeaformihg arm fixed to said a style fixed in said arm; and means for actuating said style in accordance-"with sounds to be reproduced; substantially as described.

9. In a sound-re reducing instrument combination; an e astic -fiuid chamber; a connection adapted for supplying elastic fluid to said chamber; a fixed grating forming part of the boundary of saidchainber; a gratmg movable in a substantially normal lireetioii adapted to control the flow ofelastic fluid throiighsaid fixed grating; a tube fixed to said chamber leading from said grating; a short connecting tube having two or more sharp bends between said tube and the trumpet; and ineanslor actuating said movable grating in accordance with the sounds to be reproduced, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand ill. presen cfe'of two'witnessesl OH'ARTiES AIi'GERNON masons.

Witnesses: i

,HitRvnY GRAHAM DAKY-NS, Jnr..

WILLIAM. Daeenr'r. 

